Justin's firm resolve had deeply affected Julius. The mage, who had always maintained his composed and wise demeanor, now clung to Justin's leg, desperately trying to dissuade him from his choice.

"Don't rush, think it over one more time!" Julius pleaded.

"I've thought it through and made my decision," Justin replied calmly.

"Thought it through? It seems like you've just been swept away by reckless ideas!" Julius exclaimed in frustration.

Julius was being harsh, but Justin knew well that this decision wasn't made on a whim—it was based on a carefully thought-out plan.

Then Justin asked, "Just to be sure, do you have the authority to reverse a player's decision?"

"No, I don't have that authority. If I, as a guide, tried to prevent your choice, I'd lose my head," Julius replied.

"Then why are you trying so hard to stop me?" Justin inquired.

Julius pounded his chest in frustration and said, "Because you're running straight off a cliff! Of course I'd try to stop you!"

Julius looked like a teacher exasperated by a stubborn student who refused to listen.

Julius continued, "Listen, the apocalypse isn't the end of everything. Sure, you'll have to start from scratch, but the system will help rebuild society, and you'll quickly form a new civilization."

Justin, maintaining his composure, responded, "I'm aware of that."

Julius cried out in disbelief, "If you're aware, how can you choose to become a Warlock?!"

Julius knew that the Warlock class derived its power from chaos and despair. This meant that in a stable, organized society, a Warlock would be almost useless. To thrive, a Warlock would need to either destroy order or maintain chaos, which meant, in the end, undermining the very society they belonged to.

Julius, visibly concerned, added, "If you're the leader of a group, it's self-destructive. And if someone else leads, you'll be the first target they eliminate! Are you still choosing to be a Warlock?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm choosing," Justin responded confidently.

"Oh, no!" Julius cried out in exasperation.

When Justin showed no signs of changing his mind and held firm to his decision with a confident look on his face, Julius clutched his head in despair. After writhing in agony for a while, Julius finally spoke, his tone weary.

"To be honest, I had high hopes for you. You're not the kind of man who dies in the apocalypse. You might even be the hero who rebuilds civilization and rewrites history one day."

Justin smiled slightly and said, "I'm grateful for such a high evaluation."

Julius sighed and added, "So let me ask you one final time. Are you truly going to walk the path of a Warlock? The path of a destroyer, cut off from order and civilization?"

In Julius's eyes, Justin could see the hope that he would choose a different class, but there was also a sense of acceptance—Julius had decided that if Justin refused again, he would no longer try to dissuade him. With a confident smile, Justin nodded.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yes, I will become a Warlock," Justin said firmly.

Julius let out a deep sigh and said, "I see. Then, as your guide, I have no right to stop you."

With that, Julius waved his hand in the air, and a dark energy swept over Justin's body. As the black smoke touched him, Justin felt a surge of awakening, like he had downed a powerful stimulant. Then, the system's messages echoed in his mind:

"Ding!The dark power of the Netherworld blesses you."

"Ding!Your class has changed from [Mage Apprentice] to [Warlock]."

"Ding!Skill [Magic Missile] has evolved into [Black Missile]."

"Ding! Skill [Energy Drain] has been added."

Justin smiled in satisfaction as he quickly pulled up his status window to check his skills.

[Black Missile]

Type: Single-target offensive spellDescription: A dark-powered evolution of Magic Missile. The number of uses has doubled, and both speed and power have significantly increased.Notes: Current usage (20/20)

[Energy Drain]

Type: Single-target curse spellDescription: Continuously absorbs the life force or essence of a nearby target. The absorbed energy is used to recharge depleted magic.Notes: Current usage (Unlimited)

Seeing the enhanced magic and the doubled number of uses, Justin couldn't help but feel satisfied. The newly acquired Energy Drain skill was also a powerful addition. Now, instead of needing to meditate, he could instantly recover his magic as long as he had a suitable sacrifice.

As Justin reviewed the new skills in his window, Julius, looking sorrowful, spoke: "I just hope you have a plan. Out of all the limitless possibilities, you've chosen the path with the most restrictions."

Justin smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry. As I said earlier, it's a well-thought-out decision."

Julius sighed, "Alright, I'll trust you."

Though Julius said he trusted him, his face still reflected concern.

Justin, unfazed, said with a smile: "I've made this choice according to my plan, no need to worry."

Julius concluded, "In any case, there's nothing more for me to teach you. I hope we meet again after the apocalypse."

"We definitely will," Justin replied confidently.

Julius shook his head as he said, "Where does all that confidence come from?"

Justin quietly smiled as Julius shook his head in disbelief. With the choice of becoming a Warlock, Justin knew his chances of surviving the Day of Judgment had drastically increased. Barring any unforeseen circumstances in the distant future, they would surely meet again, and Justin would be alive and well.

With his class advancement complete, there wasn't much left for Justin to do in the tutorial dungeon. Before opening the dimensional portal and returning, he decided to carry out one final task: testing his new skills in battle.

He selected one of the three goblins that had respawned and whispered quietly, "Black Missile."

Crack!

Boom!

The dark energy sparked from his finger and shot forward. The goblin died instantly, not even aware it had been hit. The power of the new spell was much stronger than Justin had anticipated.

"Not only is the speed overwhelming, but every aspect of it is superior," Justin thought in awe.

In the past, even if his enemies couldn't dodge the Magic Missile, they could still track its trajectory. The impact, though heavy, felt more like a blunt strike rather than a piercing blow. But now, the Black Missile moved faster than an arrow, and instead of just hitting, it completely pierced through the goblin's head. It had enough power to kill instantly, whether it hit the head, body, or even the legs.

"Ki-Kirik!" one goblin cried out.

"Kiiieeek!" another screamed as it fled.

Justin blinked in surprise as he saw one of the goblins run away after witnessing the death of its companion. These creatures had never fled before, no matter how many of them were killed.

"Are they running?" Justin thought.

He wondered, "Could it be that the monsters' reactions change based on the strength of the magic used?"

Perhaps when the monsters sensed that they had a chance against a certain level of magic, they would fight. But when they realized they stood no chance, they would flee. It was a theory that seemed plausible.

Although he was momentarily surprised, Justin wasn't about to let the goblins escape. He quickly launched another spell: "Black Missile."

Boom!

The goblin screamed in agony as the spell hit, but Justin didn't stop there. He approached the goblin, who was now immobilized, and used his newly acquired skill.

"Energy Drain," he whispered.

Shhhk

"Kiiiieeek!"